Jamie McConnell, MS 2007

Organized Leader and Fierce Negotiator

Home:

A native Montanan, Jamie was born in Helena and her grandparents homesteaded in Great Falls. After living in Newbury Park, California for a while Jamie is now living in Missoula, Montana.

Present Title:

Director of Programs and Policy, Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE)

Her Passion:

Having worked for the Park Service, Jamie was interested in more traditional environmental issues when she entered EVST. After being exposed to environmental justice issues and community engagement in Professor Robin Saha’s classes, Jamie says social justice issues spoke to her more. “It’s more than just protecting the places you like to hike,” says Jamie, “it’s more about protecting our bodies and homes. Everyone has a right to safe products.”

Accomplishments:

While Jamie’s accomplishments are many, she is most proud of working to pass Senate Bill 528 in California that requires the disclosure of ingredients in cleaning products. WVE was a bill sponsor and Jamie helped develop the bill language, negotiated with the industry and did outreach on the bill. In addition to passing legislation in California, the seventh largest economy in the world, Walmart has now declared that it will use this standard.

What Others Are Saying:

“Jamie started working for Women’s Voices as an intern in 2006. She is a thoughtful, organized leader who has grown into a fierce negotiator moving state and national policy,” says Erin Switalski, Executive Director of WVE. “She gracefully sits down with industry leaders to find policy solutions that work for everyone, and intentionally works to raise the voices of the most vulnerable populations through this work. From Montana, she is making national and lasting change.”

What Jamie Says About EVST:

“What EVST did for me was give me a new lens and the program was not just about classroom learning,” says Jamie. “EVST is good at connecting students to organizations through class projects and internships. It’s not just theoretical. EVST makes it practical, makes it real.”